1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to movable partitions and, more particularly, to the control of such partitions including, for example, foldable doors.
2. State of the Art
Movable partitions are utilized in numerous situations and environments for a variety of purposes. Such partitions may include, for example, foldable or collapsible doors configured to enclose or subdivide a room or other area. Often such partitions may be utilized simply for purposes of versatility in being able to subdivide a single large room into multiple smaller rooms. The subdivision of a larger area may be desired, for example, to accommodate multiple groups or meetings simultaneously. In other applications, such partitions may be utilized for noise control depending, for example, on the activities taking place in a given room or portion thereof.
Movable partitions may also be used to provide a security and/or fire barrier. In such a case, the door may be configured to automatically close upon the occurrence of a predetermined event such as the actuation of an associated alarm. For example, one or more accordion or similar folding-type doors may be used as a security and/or a fire door wherein each door is formed with a plurality of panels hingedly connected to one another. The hinged connection of the panels allows the door to fold up in a compact unit for purposes of storage when not deployed. Thus, the door may be stored, for example, in a pocket formed in the wall of a building when in a retracted or folded state. When deployment of the door is required to secure an area during a fire or for any other specified reason, the door is driven by a motor along a track, conventionally located above the door in a header, until the door is extended a desired distance across the room to form an appropriate barrier.
When deployed, a leading edge of the door, which may be defined by a component known as a lead post, complementarily engages a receptacle in a fixed structure, such as a wall, or in a mating receptacle of another door. Such a receptacle may be referred to as a jamb or a door post when formed in a fixed structure, or as a mating lead post when formed in another door. It is desirable that the lead post be substantially aligned with the mating receptacle such that the door may be completely closed and an appropriate seal formed between the door and mating receptacle. For example, if the door is being used as a fire door, it is desirable that the lead post of a door is fully engaged with the mating receptacle to prevent drafts and any attendant flames or smoke from traversing the barrier formed by the partition and, more particularly, the joint formed by the lead post and receptacle.
In some cases, the lower edge of the door, including, perhaps, the lower edge of the door's lead post, may be laterally displaced relative to the top edge of the door which is relatively fixed in a lateral sense due to its engagement with the track and header. Such lateral displacement of the door's lower edge may be caused, for example, by a fire-induced draft, by an improperly balanced HVAC system, or simply from an occupant of a room pushing against the door while it is being deployed. If the lower edge of the lead post is laterally displaced relative to its upper edge as the leading edge of the door approaches the mating receptacle, the lead post will not be properly aligned with the mating receptacle and an appropriate seal will not be formed. In other words, the mating receptacle is conventionally installed to be substantially plumb. If the lower edge of a lead post of a door is laterally displaced relative to its upper edge, the lead post is not plumb (or substantially vertically oriented) and thus will not properly engage the substantially plumb receptacle.
As noted above, the failure of the lead post to properly engage the receptacle may have substantial consequences when, for example, the door is being used as a fire or security barrier. At a minimum, even when the door is not used as a fire or security barrier, the failure of the lead post to properly engage the mating receptacle will result in the inability to completely subdivide a larger room and visually or acoustically isolate the subdivided room.
One approach to preventing or controlling the lateral displacement of a lower edge of the door has included forming a guide track within the floor of a room and then causing the door or barrier to engage the track as it is deployed and retracted such that the door is laterally constrained relative to the path of the track. However, the placement of a track in the floor of a room is not an ideal solution for all environments. For example, such a track provides a place for collection of dust and debris and may, thereby, become an unsightly feature of the room. In some cases, the collection of debris may affect the proper operation of the door itself Additionally, the existence of a track in the floor, regardless of whether it is protruding from the floor or recessed within the floor, may act as a hazard or potential source of injury depending, for example, on the intended use of the area and the actual location of the floor track within that area.
Moreover, even if one were to use a track in the floor, floors often exhibit an undesirable amount of unevenness presenting additional difficulties. For example, it becomes difficult to install an even and level track in a floor or other supporting surface that is not even. If the track is not substantially even and level, the bottom edge of the partition, or some component associated therewith, may have trouble maintaining engagement with the track while it is being displaced. Likewise, other devices that may attempt to maintain engagement with (or maintain some other specified relationship with) an adjacent or an underlying surface may experience difficulty doing so due to the unevenness and undulating nature of such a surface.
In view of the current state of the art, it would be advantageous to provide methods, apparatuses and systems for directionally controlling movable barriers including, for example, extendable and retractable partitions. For example, in directionally controlling a movable partition or barrier, it would be advantageous to enable automatic control of the partition or barrier with respect to any lateral displacement of the lower edge of the barrier relative to the upper edge of the barrier without requiring the installation of an additional track in the floor.